ESPN La Crosse 105.5

Can Packers’ situational football get back on track vs 49ers’ defense?

Paul Bretl | 11/24/2024

GREEN BAY, Wis. — Situationally this season, specifically on third downs and in the red zone, the Packers’ offense has struggled. But could a matchup against the San Francisco defense help Green Bay get back on track situationally?

On the year, the Packers’ rank 22nd in third-down success rate and 27th inside the red zone. For an offense that, overall, moved the ball well against Chicago last week, with five red zone visits in just six possessions while averaging 8.5 yards per play, it was their performance in these key situations that played a big factor in the game being as close as it was.

“I think it’s tough,” said Jordan Love of the offense’s red zone performance. “I think it’s a lot of just looking at what we’ve been doing, what defenses have been doing to try to stop us and just trying to find better plays, find out what we can do better, what I can do better to get us in that end zone and get over the kinda lulls we’re having in the red zone right now.”

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Despite being able to move the ball and generate chunk plays, the Packers were just 1-for-5 on third downs versus the Bears. In the red zone, they were 3-for-5, which certainly isn’t awful, but what really hurt them was that on their two red zone “misses,” they didn’t just not score a touchdown, but they didn’t leave with points.

While this game and performance is the most recent example of these third down and red zone woes, it’s a problem that has impacted this Green Bay offense really all season–as the numbers illustrate.

A lot of the issues experienced by the Packers begin with self-inflicted errors. Whether it be a penalty–which have been prevalent with Green Bay penalized 19 times in the red area this season–a dropped pass, an off-target throw, or whatever it may be, the Packers are putting themselves in long down-and-distance situations far too often.

“It has, and it’s been kind of as the year has gone on it’s been different problems,” said Adam Stenavich of the team’s third down struggles. “At first we had a lot of penalties. And then we had a lot of drops. And now we’ve just got to make sure we keep focusing on being productive and just honing in on simple plays and making sure we can play fast and go execute.”

The trickle-down effect of this is that the offense is then in a predictable passing situation, giving the defense the advantage because they aren’t necessarily worried about the run game anymore. The pass rush can then pin its ears back and when needing to convert a third-and-long, there are only so many routes that can be run in that situation.

In the red zone specifically, as Matt LaFleur has discussed in the past, having a strong run game to lean on is a very important element, but when behind the sticks, that ability is at the very least restricted, if not completely taken away.

Without question, the Packers have to clean up these errors. But when discussing something that has been a season-long issue, which in this case is the third down and red zone offense, it’s never just one thing. The execution has to improve as well.

“That was one of the weirdest games,” said Stenavich of the Bears’ game. “And a lot of the third downs were in the red zone, too. So it was just strange. We had the ball for, I think we had six real possessions and we had one punt, and the rest of them we were in the red zone.

“We did a great job moving the ball, so yeah, it’s one of those things, you can see how explosive we are, you can see how productive we can be, but we’ve really got to focus on finishing, whether it’s the third downs or in the red zone, finishing with touchdowns or at field goals at least. We’ve just got to be better in those situations for sure.”

As LaFleur noted on Monday following the Bears’ game, Chicago often played Cover-2 down in the red zone, to which LaFleur pointed out that if you can’t run the ball in those situations, it’s going to be “very difficult” for the offense. An example he gave was on the run play to Jayden Reed, where a missed block blew that play up in the backfield.

Another head-scratching part of that sequence was that Christian Watson, who put the Packers in the red zone on that drive with a 48-yard completion, wasn’t on the field during that red zone possession. Instead, the Packers opted to go with Bo Melton and Malik Heath, which not only means one of your best players isn’t on the field in a critical situation, but that’s a pretty obvious tip of the hand that a run play is coming.

“We had a linemen downfield so we went backwards,” LaFleur said on Monday. “Called the play to Jayden Reed, missed a block at the point of attack and went backwards again. Then, we threw the pick. That was a bad sequence, but I thought all-in-all we know and recognize where we’re having most of our struggles and most of our struggles right now on offense are coming in the red area.

“Again self-inflicted wounds whether it’s penalties or negative plays and then on third down we just have to do a better job. That’s the emphasis and we’re working hard at it. It’s just we haven’t gotten the results that we’d like right now.”

This is just one example, but the first failed red zone attempt by the Packers last week in Chicago seemed to perfectly encapsulate the issues they’ve often experienced this season. A penalty put them behind the sticks, a missed assignment led to a run play going for a loss, and then the drive ended with an interception.

Awaiting the Packers this week, however, is a 49ers’ defense that, overall, has still fared well against both the run and the pass, ranking top 10 in yards per attempt in each category, but is also a unit that ranks 25th in third down defense and 23rd in red zone defense.

Making matters more difficult for San Francisco is that they will be without Nick Bosa. According to ESPN, the 49ers’ team pressure rate with Bosa on the field is 33 percent compared to just 18 percent without him, which would rank as the lowest-mark in football.

“There’s some plays that you certainly would not want to do with him in the game,” LaFleur said of Bosa. “He’s just, he’s that type of player. He’s a game wrecker, and he can definitely impact the game.”

Obviously, who you’re going up against and how the opponent defends each play is going to impact the outcome, but for this Packers team, performing better on these critical downs starts with themselves from limiting the self-inflicted errors, to the execution and play-calls, and making sure your best players are on the field.

“I definitely think it’s something that fixable,” Love added. “You look last year, I think we were a lot better in the red zone. Whether that’s just the plays we’re drawing up, whether we were just finding better options versus what the defense was doing or just coming down to making those plays that we might not be making right now, but I’m concerned about it. I think it’s something that we will fix going forward, but it definitely hasn’t been up to the standard we’re trying to have it at.”

No Brock Purdy for 49ers but Christian McCaffrey is coming–can the Packers stop him?

Paul Bretl | 11/23/2024

GREEN BAY, Wis. — The San Francisco 49ers will be without quarterback Brock Purdy on Sunday, but still in the backfield is the always-dangerous Christian McCaffrey in an unpredictable and diverse offensive scheme that the Packers need to be ready for.

Purdy would suffer a shoulder injury in the 49ers’ Week 11 matchup with Seattle. As the week progressed, it was looking less and less likely that Purdy would be able to play in this game. So starting for San Francisco will be Brandon Allen, a 2016 draft pick with a career completion rate of 57 percent on 263 attempts with 10 touchdowns to six interceptions. His last regular season pass attempt came during the 2022 season with Cincinnati.

“I know Brandon,” said Matt LaFleur on Friday. “I was with him in LA. He’s played, he’s been in the league now a long time. But I wouldn’t expect their offense to change a whole bunch.”

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In terms of the 49ers’ playbook, their offense is still going to be their offense–there just isn’t enough time in a few practices to make any sweeping changes–and the already heavily featured run game will likely take center stage on Sunday.

Everything begins with the ground game for the 49ers. Even with Purdy under center prior to this game, San Francisco averaged the seventh-most rush attempts per game this season. And despite being without McCaffrey for much of the year, San Francisco is still averaging 5.0 yards per rush as a team–the fourth-best mark in football–and included 2022 undrafted rookie Jordan Mason coming out of nowhere to produce over 700 rushing yards in only 10 games.

McCaffrey is coming off a 1,700-yard season in 2023 and has been back for two games now after dealing with an Achilles injury at the start of the season. He’s been featured heavily, carrying the ball 32 times compared to just three carries for Mason, but has struggled to get going, averaging a modest 3.7 yards per rush.

However, you won’t catch the Packers fooled by that small sample size. They know who they’re going up against.

“I think he’s one of the most dynamic backs in this league. He runs hard, he’s fast, he’s got great contact balance, he can stay in and protect, he’s great in the pass game, he’s awesome in the red zone. I think he’s a dynamic football player.”

There is the obvious big-play potential that McCaffrey brings to the offense when he has the ball in his hands with his speed and ability to make defenders miss. In 2023, McCaffrey would generate the most missed tackles in football among running backs, helping him also lead the league in rushes of 10 yards and 15 yards as well.

But in addition that clearly important element is McCaffrey’s versatility. McCaffrey cannot only be used in the passing game, but can handle a variety of route concepts as well. The 49ers will run him between the tackles and get him on the perimeter. Then you add in the pre-snap motion, misdirections, and eye candy that Kyle Shanahan will throw at opponents, and the already difficult challenge of trying to contain McCaffrey becomes much more daunting.

You put all of that together, and that can be a real horizontal stressor for a defense, helping to create space and running lanes that can be exploited, along with opportunities in the passing game.

“Just as a presence,” said LaFleur. “I mean, he’s the best back, probably in the game and just all the versatility that he can do. He’s just different than a lot of backs in terms of, they design a lot of routes for him. So I think he’s, he’s just so explosive too. So you’ve got to account for him.”

With players like George Kittle and Deebo Samuel, it’s not as if the passing game can be forgotten about if you’re the Packers, especially with Shanahan’s ability to find ways to get his playmakers the ball in space. But, to some degree, the passing game is going to be hindered–Allen isn’t Purdy, after all–and if Green Bay can contain McCaffrey and the run game, moving the ball for this offense should become a lot more difficult.

When a defense is able to contain the run game there’s a positive trickle-down effect to the rest of that unit. It puts the offense behind the sticks and in predictable passing situations. In these scenarios, the game is now in Allen’s hands, and it allows the Packers’ pass rush to pin its ears back while the secondary has the advantage from a coverage standpoint–there’s only so many routes an offense can run in long down-and-distance situations.

“I think that’s super important,” said Xavier McKinney of the time of possession battle. “Obviously when you’re able to have the ball longer than the opposing team, it works out well, better for you. And I think it’s super important for this team to kind of be able to get off the field as quick as you can and not just be out there creating these long drives and letting them have the ball for long periods of time, so I think that’s gonna be super important this game and I think that’s something we’ll emphasize.”

For much of the year, the Packers’ run defense has held its own. They entered last week’s game against Chicago, allowing 4.2 yards per attempt, which ranked as the eighth-lowest mark in football at that time. However, the Bears, who keep in mind, entered that contest with a limited passing game of their own, were able to control the game on the ground, oftentimes through designed quarterback runs that caught the Green Bay defense off-guard.

McCaffrey getting the ball on Sunday over and over again certainly shouldn’t come as a surprise for the Packers, but how Shanahan gets him the ball or how he deploys McCaffrey is where the added wrinkles could lie in an effort to help his shorthanded offense out.

“The motions, the misdirections, the things that they try to disguise in that offense,” said Javon Bullard of the 49ers. “They just make you dial in on alignments, like very critical, you bump too far against this team, they can take it 75 yards. Everything got to be critical…You gotta know where everybody at, man. You gotta know where everybody at all the time.”

How the 49ers utilize the run game will certainly differ compared to what the Bears did, but that Week 11 game is the blueprint for what San Francisco will want to replicate against the Green Bay offense. Success on the ground means shorter down-and-distance situations and manageable third downs, where Chicago was extremely effective. That can then result in long possessions that wear down the Packers’ defense while keeping Jordan Love and the offense on the sidelines.

The Packers know McCaffrey is coming, but can they stop him?

Without Edgerrin Cooper, spotlight on Packers’ LBs against 49ers’ offense

Paul Bretl | 11/22/2024

GREEN BAY, Wis. — The Packers are going to find themselves a bit shorthanded at the linebacker position on Sunday against the San Francisco 49ers, with rookie Edgerrin Cooper ruled out.

Cooper tweaked his hamstring during Wednesday’s practice and then was a non-participant on Thursday and Friday.

“I think there’s obviously concern going into next week, being a short week,” said LaFleur on Friday, “but I don’t think it’s going to be too long-term.”

Through the early portion of the season, there was an easing process for Cooper. For one, making the leap from college to the NFL is going to come with a learning curve for any rookie, but that learning curve can be elongated when there is missed time. Unfortunately, the current injury that Cooper is working through isn’t the first that he’s had to navigate.

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Cooper didn’t play in the preseason due to injury, and even though he was available on Sundays in the regular season, early on, he was frequently a limited participant in practice–again limiting the number of practice reps he got each week. Knowing the playbook is one thing, but being able to execute on your responsibilities during a game when everything is moving at light speed is a completely different task.

However, as Cooper got healthy and got more acclimated to the playbook and speed at the NFL level, his playing time continued to increase. Over the last five games, Cooper is averaging 40 snaps per game, which includes playing a season-high of 51 against Chicago.

“He had a little bit of a setback in training camp,” said GM Brian Gutekunst during the bye week, “which always for a young player is tough when you miss that much time on the field. But just like he was in college, when you put him on the field, he makes dynamic plays.

“He’s still working through some of the details and intricacies of our defense but, when he’s out there, you feel him. He certainly brings an element of speed on that field and he’s a natural playmaker.”

Cooper would run a 4.51-second 40-yard dash during the pre-draft process this past Spring–an incredibly fast time for a linebacker, and that’s helped him generate several splash plays. With that speed comes versatility and that provides Hafley quite a bit of flexibility when it comes to the game-plan he puts together and what he asks of Cooper, whether that be sending him as a blitzer or how he’s utilized in coverage.

With that skill set, there is also a positive trickle-down effect that it creates within the defense, with Cooper’s speed and ability to operate in space then impacting what is asked of other position groups, specifically the defensive backs, because he can cover a lot of ground.

“He provides a lot of speed for us, especially on the second level,” said Xavier McKinney following the Jacksonville game. “He can cover. He can rush. It allows us to do a whole lot more on the back end. Just mix in different calls and he’s been a great addition for us. Obviously, he’s still learning and going through bumps here and there, but that’s why guys like me, I’m here, and other leaders on this defense. That’s why we’re here to get him through that. But he’s been good overall.”

Without Cooper, Quay Walker will continue to be the Mike linebacker for this defense. Even if Cooper were healthy, my guess is that there wasn’t going to be any changes to Walker’s role, even after a sub-par performance against Chicago.

When the Packers’ are in their base defense, we will see Isaiah McDuffie as the Sam linebacker and Eric Wilson–who has made some big plays of his own–as the Will linebacker. I would anticipate that when in nickel and only two linebackers are on the field, we will see McDuffie next to Walker on more obvious running downs and Wilson out there during more pass-heavy situations.

“We feel like we’ve got a lot of guys that can go in there and pick up the slack,” said Matt LaFleur of the linebacker position on Thursday. “Never want to lose a guy like that. But you know, if he can’t go, then we’ll have other guys ready.”

Awaiting the Packers this week is an unpredictable and diverse San Francisco 49ers’ offense–a unit that can put a lot of stress on the linebacker position. This starts with the run game, where the 49ers, again, have been one of the most efficient teams in football, averaging 5.0 yards per carry as a team, even without Christian McCaffrey for much of the season.

With McCaffrey in the backfield, that big play ability and elusiveness he brings is coupled with extreme versatility, able to impact the passing game as well as run between the tackles and outside, all of which when added to together can stress the linebacker position horizontally, opening up running or passing lanes to exploit.

The San Francisco passing game, meanwhile, attacks the short to intermediate parts of the field heavily–right where the linebackers are often positioned. On just about any given play, the ball could go to whoever is on the field, but between the numbers is where tight end George Kittle and wide receiver Deebo Samuel often operate and present matchup problems, especially when paired with all of the motion and misdirection that Kyle Shanahan utilizes.

“The motions, the misdirections, the things that they try to disguise in that offense,” said Javon Bullard of the 49ers offense. “They just make you dial in on alignments, like very critical, you bump too far against this team, they can take it 75 yards. Everything got to be critical.”

Containing this unit will take a complementary effort from the entire Green Bay defense, but given where the 49ers’ talent lies and how this offense operates, the spotlight may end up being on the Packers’ linebackers–a position group now without Cooper, who has been their top playmaking presence.

With Jaire Alexander sidelined, Carrington Valentine and Packers’ CB depth to be tested

Paul Bretl | 11/22/2024

GREEN BAY, Wis. — With Jaire Alexander’s timetable for returning unknown as he works through a PCL injury, the Packers will have to lean heavily on Carrington Valentine and their cornerback depth moving forward.

As a seventh-round pick in 2023, Valentine emerged as one of the Packers’ starting cornerbacks during his rookie season, playing over 800 defensive snaps while allowing a completion rate of 55 percent with five pass breakups.

“I would say just the time I’ve been out there, recognition,” said Valentine at his locker on Thursday when asked where his game has grown the most. “Things starting to slow down–things are really starting to slow down, especially like I said, out there on the perimeter, in the run-action at you and stuff like that. I feel like that’s probably the major thing.”

At the start of offseason programs and into training camp, Valentine was competing with Eric Stokes for that starting spot opposite of Alexander. Unfortunately, early on in camp, a hamstring injury would sideline Valentine for multiple weeks and that competition that was supposed to take place never really got off the ground.

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After playing just nine snaps in the Packers’ opener against Philadelphia, Valentine saw his playing time take a big jump in Week 2 against Indianapolis, but an ankle injury in this game would force him to miss the next two games while he remained on the Packers’ injury report through Week 7.

For Valentine, who played in 25 games during his final two seasons at Kentucky along with over 1,500 defensive snaps, having to navigate injuries this season has put him in uncharted waters.

“This has definitely been something different for me,” said Valentine. “Never missed a snap playing football until I got into the NFL. So this definitely wasn’t normal. Wasn’t something that I liked, like I said, I don’t like being hurt, I don’t like missing practice. It’s definitely something different.”

As the season has evolved, the Packers’ secondary has been reshaped. After rookie Javon Bullard began the season at safety next to Xavier McKinney, he then transitioned to the slot cornerback role. This then allowed the Packers to get fellow rookie Evan Williams on the field, and with Keisean Nixon, he ended up moving to the boundary opposite of Alexander.

Then, up until recent weeks, Stokes was the next cornerback in line behind Alexander and Nixon, seeing playing time in dime situations or when Jeff Hafley wanted to get his skill set on the field for certain matchups or down and distances. This, however, left many wondering where Valentine was.

“It was the injuries,” said Hafley on Thursday. “It’s just him practicing and getting himself ready to play in a game and he’s done that now.”

Facing Detroit in Week 9, Valentine played 35 defensive snaps and Stokes 37 as the Packers had to reshuffle the secondary with both Alexander and Williams out. But then, this past Sunday in Chicago, Valentine played 64 snaps to Stokes’ four.

Valentine adds another physical presence to the secondary when on the field, more than happy to help out in the run game as evidenced by his eight tackles in Week 11. In coverage, he would allow three completions on four targets, but did force a pass breakup and held pass-catchers to a combined 30-yards.

“It’s been a while,” Valentine said of his play, “but it was a good to get back out there. Feel some things out, make some plays in the run game and stuff like that. It felt good and something to build off of.”

Hafley wasn’t going to specifically say that Valentine would be one of the starters while Alexander was out. Perhaps, he just doesn’t want to give up whatever competitive advantage may come with that. Or, as we’ve seen from Hafley throughout the season, playing time is going to be determined by what the matchup dictates and could ebb and flow week to week.

“I think he’s done a nice job,” Hafley said of Valentine, “but I do think there’s still competition in that room with him and Kei and Stokes. I think there’s competition and that’s what we want, so they push each other each day in practice and they’re all gonna play.

“I mean you’ve seen packages where in certain groupings, all three of them have been on the field and if Ja does play on Sunday, then all four of them are on the field. I mean and that’s — the more DBs in certain situations you can get on the field in some instances the better and if you don’t have those guys you gotta adjust.”

Right or wrong, the Packers have been bullish about their cornerback depth since the offseason, which of course, has dictated their decision-making at the position. It’s why, even though there were question marks around this unit prior to the draft, Green Bay didn’t make an addition at that position until the seventh round, even though they had the opportunity to do so earlier.

Since then, whether it be Matt LaFleur or Gutekunst, both have continued to voice their confidence in that group, even as recently as the bye week when Gutekunst spoke with local media members.

“I think a lot of the moves you saw today,” said Brian Gutekunst on the day of the trade deadline, “were reactions to injuries and things like that where you’re missing things. But yeah, no, I really like our group,” said Gutekunst referring to the entire team.

“Obviously we do a lot of work prior to the season to try to make sure that we’re a deep team that can sustain an entire season and if we have injuries that we don’t have to go outside of the building to fulfil that and I feel we’ve done that and I feel really good about our football team. I like our depth.”

On the year, the 6.6 yards per pass attempt allowed by the Green Bay defense ranks 16th in the NFL and 29th in pass deflections. In terms of explosive pass plays, the Packers have surrendered the eighth-most through 10 games and have the eighth-highest explosive pass play rate as well.

Naturally, when Jaire Alexander is on the field, this group performs much better. Alexander has surrendered a completion rate of just 56 percent this season with two interceptions, seven pass deflections, and a passer rating when targeted of just 79.9.

However, now, the cornerback depth that the Packers have been so bullish on will again be tested while Alexander remains out and includes going up against some high-powered passing games in the coming weeks, which features San Francisco, Miami, and Detroit. But Valentine remains confident and ready for the challenge ahead.

“I mean, I feel like it never left,” Valentine said of his confidence. “You have some injuries, like I said, it comes with the sport. Going out there and just feeling it out and everything else, getting comfortable and things, I feel like the confidence for me never left, no matter what the injury was.”

Josh Jacobs’ pass-catching prowess can be key factor for Packers’ offense vs 49ers

Paul Bretl | 11/21/2024

GREEN BAY, Wis. — A former rushing leader and among the most productive ball carriers in football this season, Packers’ running back Josh Jacobs’ ability in the passing game could prove to be an important element for the offense against the San Francisco defense.

Jacobs’ resume as a ball carrier speaks for itself now six seasons into his NFL career. But when the Packers acquired the running back in free agency, they were also excited to bring in his ability as a pass-catcher, an at times, underutilized aspect of Jacobs’ game during his time with Las Vegas.

“There’s not a route, I would say, that he can’t run,” said passing game coordinator Jason Vrable during training camp. “I would say the most impressive thing above everything has been his hands. They’ve been exceptional. He’s a hands catcher for a running back and he has a big catch radius. He’s one of those guys who knows the route tree and can kinda do anything that we need him to do.”

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On the season, Jacobs has been a reliable target out of the backfield for Jordan Love, catching 23-of-27 targets and averaging 8.1 yards per reception with a touchdown. Against Chicago this past Sunday, Jacobs averaged over 14 yards per reception and was tied for first on the team in receptions and was second in yards.

Jacobs’ understanding of route concepts allows the Packers to get him involved in the passing game in a variety of ways–he doesn’t only have to get the ball dumped down to him out of the backfield. His soft hands make him a reliable target, and his ability in space makes him a really difficult matchup for the defense.

At a minimum, with Jacobs, there is the opportunity to move the chains on offense, but when in space, there also becomes the potential for an explosive play.

“I think with him, it’s also the fact that he has really soft hands and can adjust to the football,” said running backs coach Ben Sirmans. “He’s hard to bring down, so now when he’s catching the ball in space, now defenders have to try to defend him in space, so it’s like handing him the ball with the defender five, six yards away from him and say, ‘go tackle that guy.’

“So he’s been really good out of the backfield. It’s one of the things that we talk about, catching the ball out of the backfield is an opportunity to keep the chains moving, which gives us more opportunities. So he’s been great for us from that standpoint.”

As a receiver specifically, Jacobs ranks 10th in average yards per catch among all running backs. As a ball carrier in general, he’s one of the most difficult players to bring down, ranking fifth in average yards after contact and seventh in missed tackles force. The end result is a back who is among the best at generating explosive plays.

“For me, man, it’s just not giving up on a play,” said Jacobs. “It’s trying to go out there and give everything that I have and never feeling like I didn’t try. Me being a vet in this locker room, me trying to be the leader that I want to be, I hold myself to certain standards, to a certain level of accountability, and I wouldn’t be able to come in here and look these guys in the eye if I feel like I didn’t get everything that I had, and I feel like I couldn’t ask that out of them if I wasn’t showing it or giving it.”

Against an all-around stout 49ers’ defense that is coming to Lambeau Field on Sunday, Jacobs’ pass catching abilities may end up being a key factor for the Packers’ offense.

Although dealing with some injuries, this is a Niners’ defense that ranks ninth against the run in yards per rush, is sixth in yards per pass attempt surrendered, and features a defensive front with Nick Bosa, who, of note, did not practice on Wednesday with an oblique injury.

The run game, of course, can’t be forgotten about. Struggling to pick up yards in the ground game will put Green Bay behind the sticks and in obvious passing situations against the 49ers’ pass rush that ranks 11th in win rate and a stingy secondary. Becoming one-dimensional and pass-heavy isn’t a recipe for success.

But with that said, utilizing Jacobs in the passing game can act as a pseudo-run game if yards between the tackles are hard to come by as it is a way to get him the ball in space.

Similarly to what we saw this past Sunday in Chicago where Jacobs was heavily targeted, if the pass rush is closing in on Love or there isn’t anyone open downfield, he can provide an outlet option.

“He’s one of those guys that you want to have the ball in his hands,” said Love about Jacobs. “He does really good things when he has it, and I think it just comes down to – like I said before – what defenses are doing. Anytime we can get the ball in Josh’s hands with five yards between him and the next defender, good things are going to happen. So just trying to keep getting him the ball, but he makes you right when you get him the ball.”

If Jacobs is able to create in the passing game, there is the potential for a positive trickle-down effect to the rest of the offense. Defenders in the secondary could start to creep up, possibly opening up opportunities downfield, and in general, it’s more space that the 49ers’ defense will have to account for, which can help spread them out–although San Francisco does have the ultimate eraser in Fred Warner at linebacker.

“I think that the challenge is you just never know who’s going to get the ball,” said LaFleur of Jacobs’ impact in the run game. “And I think when you’re trying to push the ball down the field, and if they do a good job of getting depth in the coverage, and then the check downs are there, those check downs, especially when you’re checking it down to a guy like Josh, tend to go for more yards. So I think it adds a level of that, a dimension to our offense that you really have to account for.”

Against this 49ers defense, there is no magic wand a team can wave to find success. It’s going to take a complementary effort from both the run and passing games, but Jacobs’ impact in the passing game could provide the offense with something to lean on through the ebbs and flows of Sunday’s game.

Packers’ CB depth continues to be tested with Jaire Alexander working through injury

Paul Bretl | 11/21/2024

GREEN BAY, Wis. — The Packers cornerback depth will continue to be tested as Jaire Alexander navigates a knee injury that he’s been working through.

Late in the Packers’ matchup with Jacksonville, Alexander landed awkwardly, suffering the knee injury. The specific injury that he’s working through hasn’t been reported, but the Packers didn’t believe it was long-term. After missing the Detroit game and then having the bye week, Alexander attempted to play on a pinch count, however, he exited early with his knee not responding how he had hoped.

“That’s always a risk,” said Matt LaFleur of activating a player when unsure about an injury. “I knew that going into it. He was on a pitch count regardless, and those other guys were well aware that they were going to have to play. But we just felt like it was better to have him for a limited period. Now, we were hoping we could get through it and keep him on a pitch count and then pull him. It didn’t work out that way.”

With Alexander available versus not having him, there’s a very different feel to this Packers’ cornerback room. We all know the caliber of player that he is and so, of course, there’s a void when Alexander is sidelined. In seven games this season, Alexander is allowing a completion rate of 56 percent with two interceptions and three pass breakups.

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Beyond Alexander’s individual performances, his presence on the field can alter the gameplan, specifically what other defenders are asked to do. For example, with the confidence that the team has in Alexander to handle one-on-one matchups, that could free up Xavier McKinney with additional freedom to roam the field or provide help elsewhere.

“A lot better,” said McKinney of the Packers’ defense with Alexander. “Obviously, he adds a lot to our team, he adds a lot to our defense. But we understand he’s injured, so he’s going to do the things that he has to do to try to get back, and then the guys that are behind him are always going to have to be prepared.”

Without Alexander, however, the depth of this cornerback room, which the Packers still very much believe in, does seem to come into question. Keisean Nixon continues to start on the boundary as he has when Alexander is out there, but last week we saw a change with Carrington Valentine dominating the defensive snaps, while Eric Stokes was on the sidelines.

On the season, Valentine has allowed six completions on eight targets but has limited opponents to 11.2 yards per catch with a pass breakup. The Packers did seem to be encouraged by his play against Chicago, and continued to speak to the confidence they have in him, although up until recently, Valentine was stuck behind Stokes on the depth chart.

“I think he did a nice job,” said LaFleur of Valentine. “I thought there were a couple of instances where he was able to cracker plays and make some tackles. And so we’re excited about him, and I think he’s got a huge upside.”

With Nixon, it is a similar story–he’s giving up completions on 66 percent of his targets but has a few pass breakups and is holding pass-catchers to under 10 yards per reception. Overall, this is a Packers secondary that hasn’t given up many downfield plays this season, but with the cornerbacks surrendering relatively high completion rates, even at nine or 10 yards per catch, that’s enough to pick up a first down and keep the drive going for the opposing offense.

While I don’t believe that the cornerback position is a big red flag without Alexander, this does seem to become a position that is, at the very least, vulnerable.

“I’ve been saying this from the very jump,” added McKinney, “everybody has to be on their P’s and Q’s because you never know when you’re going to get called. I think our guys here have done a great job of making sure that they’re always ready, and I think it’s shown a lot about our unit as a secondary and a lot about our team.”

Alexander did not practice on Wednesday, and as he often does, LaFleur said they will see how he progresses through the week and make a decision about his availability for Sunday from there.

Awaiting the Packers this week is the high-powered and unpredictable San Francisco 49ers’ offense. Coming off of their performance in Chicago, the Green Bay defense has a lot to clean up and that task becomes all the more challenging if they are without Alexander.

“You’re talking about an elite player at his position,” LaFleur said of Alexander. “So it definitely is tough when, when he’s not out there, but that is for, that’s, that’s the case for a lot of teams in this league, missing players, and you’ve got to have the next guy step up, be ready to go, and can never let that standard slip.”

Packers defense with a lot to clean up before matchup vs. 49ers

Paul Bretl | 11/20/2024

GREEN BAY, Wis. — Struggling out of the bye week against what was a stagnant Chicago Bears offense, the Packers’ defense must correct and adjust quickly, with the San Francisco 49ers’ offense awaiting them on Sunday.

While previously, the Green Bay defense has often been a key contributor to many of the Packers’ victories, against the Bears, the Packers won in spite of that unit.

“The thing I make out of that is we’ve got to be better,” said Matt LaFleur on Monday. “Just after watching the tape with the guys, I would say we’re all in agreement with that. There were opportunities to get off the grass, and for one reason or another, we didn’t make the plays. It’s a credit to them, I thought they had a good plan.”

This was a Bears’ offense that entered Sunday’s matchup on a three-game losing streak. Offensively, they had totaled just 27 points during that three game span, which included 241 yards of total offense in Week 9 against Arizona and 142 total yards last week against New England.

These struggles prompted head coach Matt Eberflus to make a change at coordinator early in the week prior to the Packers game, firing Shane Waldron and promoting passing game coordinator Thomas Brown.

However, the Bears would go on to produce nearly 400 yards of offense, more than their previous two games combined, and found the end zone twice after not scoring a touchdown in the previous two weeks either.

This success for Chicago started in the run game. With Brown as the play-caller, the Bears utilized more designed quarterback runs, which Kenny Clark and Xavier McKinney acknowledged after the game, caught them off guard. Green Bay also didn’t seem to have any answers for the quick passing game either.

The trickle-down effect of moving the ball on the ground keeps the offense ahead of the sticks and in manageable down-and-distances, helping the Bears convert nine of their 16 third down attempts.

The run game can also open up opportunities in the passing game, which Caleb Williams was able to take advantage of, particularly in man coverage, and the long drives allowed the Bears to control the time of possession, holding the ball for nearly 13 more minutes than the Packers and running 25 additional plays.

“We’ve just got to clean it up, man,” said Xavier McKinney after the game. “It’s tough because I think that we can play way better ball than what we did today but it’s hard to win in this league. When you do win, you’ve got to be somewhat happy about the win because it’s hard to win. But also, you’ve got to know that there’s a lot of things to improve on and we’ve got to do that moving forward.”

So if the Bears can surprise this Green Bay defense, what could the 49ers do? Awaiting the Packers this week will be Christian McCaffrey and an unpredictable 49ers’ passing game with Kyle Shanahan and Brock Purdy at the helm.

Everything begins with the ground game for the 49ers. Even without McCaffrey for much of the season, San Francisco is still averaging 5.0 yards per rush as a team–the fourth-best mark in football–and included 2022 undrafted rookie Jordan Mason coming out of nowhere to produce over 700 rushing yards in only 10 games.

McCaffrey has now been back in the mix the past two games and is coming off a 1,700-yard MVP season in 2023.

Moving the ball successfully on the ground then sets up the passing game for Purdy. As already described, staying ahead of the sticks gives the offense the advantage. The entire playbook is open to them at that point, forcing the defense to spread out and keeping them off-balanced, oftentimes not knowing whether its a run or pass play that’s coming.

The utilization of play-action off of that run game success and the marrying of the running and passing games through run-actions and similar play designs only further complicates things for a defense as they try to decipher what the offense is going to do.

Couple that element with a bevy of versatile players, which includes McCaffrey, George Kittle, and Deebo Samuel, all of whom can fill a variety of roles from where they are asked to line up to what their responsibility is on a given play, and it’s easy to see how this 49ers’ offense continues to put up points and yards, even as they’ve navigated injuries on the offensive side of the ball this season.

“You gotta know where everybody at all the time,” Bullard added. “Like I said, those guys can be in different spots at any moment. You see Deebo out-wide, you see him in the backfield, same thing with McCaffrey. So you just gotta be dialed in to where those guys are, just being able to call that out and not being blind to the fact that they can be at any place and can take it at any time.”

If containing the San Francisco run game is step No. 1 for the Packers’ defense, then step No. 2 is getting after Purdy on passing plays. While not an easy task against the 49ers offensive line, it is a defense’s best chance of disrupting a potent passing game that averages 8.5 yards per pass by forcing Purdy off his spot, thus impacting the timing and rhythm of the play, hopefully resulting in off-target throws, or even better, sacks.

“I think he’s a damn good quarterback,” said LaFleur of Purdy. “You don’t put up the kind of numbers that they’re able to put up offensively without a quarterback that can go out there and do it. And I think the one thing that makes him so special, just studying him over the last couple years is just, I think he’s got a great feel in the pocket of when to escape or when to hang in there, because if, if the rush is a non-factor, he’s going to hang in the pocket until he can’t.

“I think he does a great job buying time. And he’s, he’s deceptive in terms of his ability to get out of the pocket and beat you with his legs as well. So I’ve been really impressed with him, his ability to throw on time, and he, he looks like a really decisive quarterback, and he’s got some really good weapons to throw to as well.”

Coming into Sunday’s game, Purdy is dealing with right shoulder soreness and is “day to day,” as Shanahan put it, although LaFleur said he fully expects him to play. McCaffrey, meanwhile, is averaging just 3.7 yards per rush in his two appearances this season, while Kittle missed last week’s game with a hamstring injury. Brandon Aiyuk is also out for the season with an ACL injury.

At 5-5 on the season, perhaps this hasn’t been the same juggernaut Niners team that the Packers have run into during past seasons, but as the numbers show, they can still very much hurt opposing defenses. And if Green Bay is unable to clean up the issues that plagued them for four quarters in Chicago, well, the 49ers are one of the best in football at taking advantage of those miscues.

“They got a lot of playmakers,” Bullard said. “A lot of guys they can get the ball to. A lot of guys that are dangerous with the ball in their hands. Nice O-line, nice physical O-line. They’re a complete football team.”

Through ups and downs, Packers WR Dontayvion Wicks remains confident and ready

Paul Bretl | 11/20/2024

GREEN BAY, Wis. — It’s been an up-and-down season, to say the least, for Packers’ second-year wide receiver Dontayvion Wicks up to this point. But for this offense to be at its best, that includes getting Wicks involved, so going away from him shouldn’t be an option at this time.

On the season, Wicks has six dropped passes, according to Pro Football Focus, and a drop rate of 27.3 percent, which has contributed to his low overall completion rate when targeted of just 37.2 percent, with Wicks catching only 16 of his 43 passes.

For some context, Wicks’ six dropped passes are the second-most in football this season, and that drop rate is the highest by over four percent.

“Working with the quarterback, really, just focusing on eyes to hands, concentration, because most of the drops come from me looking away too quick,” said Wicks of the dropped passes.

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Wicks has dealt with dropped passes before. During his final season at Virginia, he dealt with the drops that season as well, totaling nine in the nine games that he played. However, that wasn’t going to stop the Packers from drafting him because, as now passing game coordinator Jason Vrable described last spring, a lot of those drops were the product of Wicks trying to turn and make a play before he caught it.

It would seem to be a relatively simple fix that requires going back to the fundamentals. The drops Wicks has had this season seem to be of a similar ilk. However, now over halfway through the season, it’s still been a problem, so how does one go about fixing it?

“You go back and are like, ‘All right, what’s your weekly process with how you warm up, how you train your hands, what are you doing? And you’ve just got to make tweaks,” said Adam Stenavich. “And we’ve done that. and hopefully we see the results from that moving forward. But I have a ton of confidence in Tay and I know whatever issued we have with the catching, we’ll get those resolved and I’m excited about that.”

While ultimately, it’s up to the receiver to make the play, not all drops are created equal when it comes to where the blame lies. A few of those throws from Jordan Love to Wicks could have been better placed. One example of this came in the Detroit game with Green Bay in the red zone. As Love rolled to his right, Wicks ran wide open over the middle. Love let it rip but the pass was behind Wicks and went through his hands as he reached back for it.

Would you like to see Wicks make that play? For sure. Did Love need to put it in a better spot? Absolutely. Both things can be true.

Leading up to the Bears game, Love was a full participant in all three practices that week–something that hasn’t happened often this season as he’s navigated two different lower body injuries. Those additional practice reps moving forward, along with Love just generally being healthier, which can lead to improved mechanics and accuracy, can be a key factor in the quarterback-receiver duo regaining that chemistry we saw last season and even in training camp.

“Practice matters for sure,” said Wicks. “Because you work on the stuff you’re going to do in the game. There’s preparation, you’ve already seen it. It helps you be more comfortable and confident, and it helps you play faster, too. You’re doing stuff during the week that’s going to happen in the game. But he’s had a little time out of practice. We’re going to get it right.”

However, despite the drops and inconsistent play from Wicks, he is still third on the team in targets with 43, and he’s second in touchdowns with four. The reason being he’s a well-refined route runner, with a diverse release package at the line of scrimmage, who knows how to create separation, allowing him to win at all levels of the field.

To illustrate this, PFF has a metric called separation percentage, which tracks how often a receiver gets open by beating the coverage rather than benefitting from how the defense defends the play. So far this season, Wicks ranks second among all receivers in this category, creating separation on 74.5 percent of his routes.

“I mean, most of the time I’m out there, I feel like I’m open,” said Wicks. “I’ve got confidence in my routes, what I can do. I’ve got confidence in my catching. It just ain’t working how we want it right now, and that happens. So just keep working, outwork what’s going on right now and I feel like I’ll see the light at the end.”

Matt LaFleur says that the team remains confident in Wicks. The reason is that they see him make these receptions in practice, and when the practice preparation is consistently done correctly, then that should carry over to Sundays.

With all of the talent that the Packers have at the receiver position, getting consistent opportunities isn’t always going to come easy. Oftentimes, it’s the gameplan given the opponent that is going to dictate on a week-to-week basis where the opportunities may lie and that can even be thrown off by how the defense defends each play and where the read takes Love as he goes through his progressions.

So, for that reason, there are instances where snaps and targets can ebb and flow more so with this Packers offense than perhaps with other teams. This past Sunday against Chicago, Wicks was on the field for only 16 of the offense’s 46 total snaps, working as the fourth receiver on the team from a playing time perspective.

Given how the season has unfolded, I don’t think anyone would argue about Christian Watson, Romeo Doubs, and Jayden Reed seeing more snaps than Wicks. But having said that, even through the ups and downs, the Packers can’t forget about Wicks either–and there is not indication that’s the case.

As Brian Gutekunst discussed during the bye week, one of the goals each season is for the team to be peaking at the right time and playing its best football come the playoffs. In order for the Packers to be at their best, that means having Wicks playing at the level that he’s shown he’s capable of because when that’s happening, there isn’t a situation where he can’t be on the field. When a receiver can separate like Wicks, the down, the distance, and the time of the game don’t matter–he can win regardless.

“My confidence ain’t going nowhere,” Wicks said. “I’m still confident in my hands, I know what I can do. It’s just, it’s going to turn. I’m just waiting on my time.”

Improved decision-making and mobility from Packers QB Jordan Love vs Bears

Paul Bretl | 11/19/2024

GREEN BAY, Wis. — It wasn’t the Packers’ best performance on offense this past Sunday against the Chicago Bears, but it was a game in which Jordan Love looked more like Jordan Love after navigating a knee and groin injury during the first half of the season.

Watching this game unfold live, it felt like a bit of a clunky performance from the Packers’ offense–and certainly, at times, that was true. But after taking a step back and rewatching the game, the play of Love and the offense as a whole looked more crisp.

With the Chicago offense moving the ball on the ground, that allowed them to control the time of possession. When it was all said and done, the Bears would hold the ball for almost 13 more minutes than Green Bay and run 25 more plays than what the Packers did.

So because of this, opportunities for the Packers’ offense were limited. Excluding a kneel-down before halftime, the Packers had just six possessions in the game. However, it turns out they were quite efficient in moving the ball. On five of those possessions, they made it all the way to the Chicago red zone. Green Bay also averaged 8.5 yards per play, which to put into context, Baltimore leads the NFL through 11 weeks in that category, averaging 7.0 yards per play this season.

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Josh Jacobs provided the offense with stability, totaling 132 yards between 18 rushes and four receptions. Christian Watson, meanwhile, provided the often-needed spark, with 150 receiving yards on just four receptions. And there was Love, who played a “pretty solid game,” as Matt LaFleur put it on Monday.

With only six possessions, Love passed the ball just 17 times but completed 13 of those attempts for 261 yards, generating several explosive plays on passes to Watson, along with Jacobs adding a 23 yard catch and run completion as well. Love’s 15.4 yards per attempt were the most in football in Week 11, and again, for more context, the season lead in that category is Jared Goff at 9.2 yards per attempt.

But going beyond the numbers, Love looked more so like his old self now feeling healthier coming out of the bye week. Coming into this game, he was a full participant in practice all three days, which hasn’t been the norm this season as he worked through the aforementioned lower body injuries.

The impact of this is that, one, he is getting important practice reps as he prepares for the game, in addition to the improved mobility. This allowed for more under center snaps from Love, and a greater usage of play-action, two key elements to the LaFleur offense.

Love being able to move around better also helped facilitate his 13-yard run to the pylon that set up his one-yard rushing touchdown on the next play. But also important, that improved mobility was on display in how Love moved about and manipulated the pocket.

“There was one of the third and longs in the first half where he hit Christian Watson,” said LaFleur. “Just the ability to hang in the pocket and have those subtle movements that we always look for, for that pocket manipulation, and then throwing a strike to Christian Watson. So, I thought all in all, like I said, I thought he played a pretty solid game.”

Now, having said all of that, it certainly wasn’t a perfect performance by any means. I’m going to guess the red zone interception left a sour taste for many. But unlike several of Love’s previous interceptions, the decision-making that resulted in the throw was sound. It was just an off-target throw, which obviously has to get cleaned up, but it’s also more so an isolated incident versus some concerning trend.

“It was a good decision,” said LaFleur of the throw. “That’s where the ball, that’s where the play was designed to go. It’s third-and-10. We needed Tuck to drop-step and get what he can to set up either a first down or a fourth-and-short, where now you have a decision to make. The ball sailed on him. It is what it is. I’m not going to get bent out of shape about it. We’ll look at just the drop mechanics, all that. He knows. It happens sometimes.”

Even on the downfield pass to Watson in double-coverage, you can look back and see Tucker Kraft running open on an intermediate route, and hindsight being 20/20 you’d say that’s where the ball should go. But from a process standpoint and the calculus that went into that decision, Love was again sound in how he got to the end result, which was choosing to throw to Watson over Kraft–the safety just made a good play, although Watson negated that by making an excellent play of his own.

“When I started moving, the safety was kind of playing both Christian and Tucker,” Love said, “and I saw Christian put his hand up that he was going deep and I thought he was beyond the safety and I think the safety did a good job as I was throwing of turning his hips and taking Christian. But anytime the ball’s in the air you love it when a receiver can go up and make that play and make you right.”

That decision-making component was also on display in Love’s willingness to dump the ball off to Jacobs, who led the team in targets with five, was tied with Watson in receptions, and was second on the team in receiving yards. Quarterbacks coach Tom Clements has said that a pivotal part of Love’s turnaround in 2023 was knowing when to take the checkdown and when to push the ball downfield. Against Chicago, we saw him strike that balance.

“He’s a smart guy,” said LaFleur of Love. “He’s intentional about his work. You know, that’s where we need him to play because there was a few instances – I thought all in all our offensive line did an outstanding job giving him the protection he needed but there were a couple times where we busted a protection and people got in there and there was no hesitation. It was like boom, I’m getting to the checkdown. I thought he did a great job.”

What really hurt the Packers was their performance in those key, must-have-it situations, specifically third downs and in the red zone. Green Bay was just 1-for-5 on third down attempts and 2-for-4 in the red zone, which included leaving with no points–not even a field goal–on two occasions.

This was always going to be a difficult matchup for the Packers coming into this game, with them having struggled situationally this season and the Bears’ defense being one of the best in both the red zone and on third downs.

“They’re really good,” Love said of the Bears’ defense. “I think we had some opps and obviously I think we left a couple plays out there but like I said they’re very good in the red zone and third down. We knew that coming into the game. Obviously red zone, you want to put up more points. You want to finish a drive with touchdowns. Obviously the interception in the red zone did not help us. Like I said they do a good job in the red zone.”

Many of the Packers’ issues in these situations stem from first-down struggles, whether it be a penalty, dropped pass, off-target throw, or whatever it may be that puts them behind the sticks and in predictable passing situations. Even for the best offenses, spending too much time in these get-back-on-track situations is a tough way to live in the NFL, with the offense being at such a disadvantage compared to the defense when forced to become one-dimensional.

Without question, there is plenty that has to get cleaned up coming out of this game. But as Brian Gutekunst discussed during the bye week, one of the goals each season is for the team to be peaking at the right time. No one is going to say that the Packers have reached that point, and truthfully, it’s only Week 12, so you don’t necessarily want them to just yet either. But the overall play from Love in Chicago was a step in that direction.

Packers DE Brenton Cox takes advantage of larger role vs Bears

Paul Bretl | 11/19/2024

GREEN BAY, Wis. — Packers second-year defensive end Brenton Cox went from being a healthy scratch on Sundays in the first half of the season to playing a fairly significant role in Week 11 against the Bears, and he capitalized on the opportunity.

“It feels good,” said Cox after the game. “Just taking advantage of the opportunity. I knew I had a lot on my plate, so just going out there and playing hard.”

In his debut, Cox was a key member of the Packers’ defensive end rotation. While, as expected, Rashan Gary and JJ Enagbare led the way in playing time with 46 and 41 snaps, respectively, Cox’s 22 snaps were only two fewer than what Lukas Van Ness saw and twice as many as Arron Mosby’s 10 snaps.

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Cox would finish the game with two pressures, according to PFF, and a sack, where he few into the backfield, not concerned about the run-action component on the play as he made a bee-line for Caleb Williams. Cox also recorded three tackles in the run game, two of which were for a loss.

“I thought he played really well,” said Matt LaFleur on Monday. “Obviously was impactful in the game and not only on defense. He had the play on we-fense where he drew a personal foul. He kicked the guy’s butt in front of him, drove him back, the guy got frustrated, head butted him and then he didn’t respond.

“He kept his poise, and that’s something that we talked about. Gotta give him a lot of credit because that’s not always easy to do in the heat of the battle, so I was really happy with his play and happy for him.”

From the outside looking in, Cox’s emergence may have seemingly come out of nowhere, to a degree. As already stated, he went from not playing at all to recording multiple pressures and tackles for loss. But inside the building, the coaching staff could see this coming. The momentum that Cox built during training camp has carried over into the regular season, specifically during team practices, where he continued to pop up on the film each week.

“I think there’s a string of two practices where Cox, I just thought, he looked like he was ready to go,” said Jeff Hafley last Thursday. “What’s really cool to see when guys earn their opportunity and I think he’s a really good example of that. And I am really, really excited for him.”

As an undrafted rookie in 2023 out of Florida, Cox’s ability to get after the quarterback and intriguing upside earned him a roster spot last season–although he played only five defensive snaps. He is a power rusher who wins with heavy and violent hands. There was one pass rush rep from Cox early on in training camp where the pop of his hands hitting the offensive tackle’s pads echoed throughout Ray Nitschke field and drove the tackle into the backfield.

Like many NFL players entering their sophomore season, Cox benefits from having a full offseason to work on his craft rather than training for the NFL combine and doing interviews. There is also the added comfortability that comes from the experience gained over the last year and knowing what it takes to be a professional day in and day out.

It’s for these reasons and others that we often hear about a Year 2 leap for many successful NFL players. But in addition to the experience that Cox has gained over the last 18 months since he joined the Packers, this is a defensive system under Hafley that suits Cox’s play-style well, and it’s one that he has “embraced,” as LaFleur said over the summer, where the primary objective of the defensive front is to get off the ball and get into the backfield as quickly as possible.

“Every opportunity when I’m on the field is an opportunity for me to get better and show what I can do,” said Cox. “Just going in there with that confidence, whether it’s on scout team or when I’m getting reps with the defense, just looking to win every rep. That’s how I never get tired of it. That’s how I keep it fun and keep my motivation going by just trying to win.”

On the flip side, a significant increase in playing time for Cox, meant relatively fewer opportunities for Lukas Van Ness, although he still remains an important part of the rotation.

Over 151 pass-rush snaps this season, Van Ness has totaled only seven pressures and one sack. By PFF’s pass-rush win rate metric, which as the name suggests, measures how often a pass-rusher wins his one-on-one matchup, he ranks 99th out of 119 eligible defensive ends this season.

“I think he’s had flashes,” Hafley said last week of Van Ness. “Certainly, in the run game, I think he’s playing really well. We’re playing pretty good run defense overall, and he’s a huge part of that. And then there’s moments when he’s had some nice rushes and good plays in the pass game. It’s just going to be about being consistent and keep working at, which he’s done.”

Cox is a former five-star recruit coming out of high school who then produced in the SEC–the talent was always there for him to be successful. But like just about any young player, refining his game and navigating the learning curve that comes with making the jump from college to the NFL was always going to be a part of his NFL journey. It’s a process that Cox has fully embraced with how he attacks each day, and the payoff is the opportunity to be a key member of Green Bay’s defensive end rotation.

“I would expect to see more of him and hopefully he’ll continue to grow as a player,” added LaFleur. “But I think it all starts with approach, how he attacks it, how he comes into the building. He’s had to earn everything he’s gotten up to this point, but I am excited about him and I think there’s going to be more out there for him.”